Until recently, most American entrepreneurs were men. Discrimination against women in business, the demands of caring for families, and lack of business training had kept the number of women entrepreneurs small. Now, however, businesses owned by women account for more than $40 billion in annual revenues, and this figure is likely to continue rising throughout the 1990s. As Carolyn Doppelt Gray, an official of the Small Business Administration, has noted, "The 1970s was the decade of women entering management, and the 1980s turned out to be the decade of the woman entrepreneur". What are some of the factors behind this trend? For one thing, as more women earn advanced degrees in business and enter the corporate world, they are finding obstacles. Women are still excluded from most executive suites. Charlotte Taylor, a management consultant, had noted, "In the 1970s women believed if they got an MBA and worked hard they could become chairman of the board. Now they've found out that isn't going to happen, so they go out on their own".

In the past, most women entrepreneurs worked in "women's" fields: cosmetics and clothing, for example. But this is changing. Consider ASK Computer Systems, a $22-million-a- year computer software business. It was founded in 1973 by Sandra Kurtzig, who was then a housewife with degrees in math and engineering. When Kurtzig founded the business, her first product was software that let weekly newspapers keep tabs on their newspaper carriers-and her office was a bedroom at home, with a shoebox under the bed to hold the company's cash. After she succeeded with the newspaper software system, she hired several bright computer-science graduates to develop additional programs. When these were marketed and sold, ASK began to grow. It now has 200 employees, and Sandra Kurtzig owns $66.9 million of stock.

Of course, many women who start their own businesses fail, just as men often do. They still face hurdles in the business world, especially problems in raising money; the banking and finance world is still dominated by men, and old attitudes die hard. Most businesses owned by women are still quite small. But the situation is changing; there are likely to be many more Sandra Kurtzigs in the years ahead.

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions

What is the main idea of this passage?

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• The word “benign” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ________.

• In line 12, the word “They” refers to ………………...

• According the passage, who receives the Pulitzer Prize?

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• Who doesn’t usually wear suits and ties?

• The author of this passage is most likely __________________ .

• Why was a coin produced in 1828 with only twelve stars?

• The tone of the passage is that of .................

• The best way to protect children from improper material is .............

• Approximately when did English begin to be used beyond England?

• According to the passage, the Railway Mail Service commenced in ......

• The author mentions that all of the following are aware of quantities in some ways EXCEPT ............

• In the second paragraph, the word "stored" is closest in meaning to ............

• How many different forms of communication are mentioned here?

• What form of street lighting was used in London when link boys used to work there?

• What is the passage mainly about?

• The four boys of the Beatles ...............

• Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

• If you are in a foreign country, the best way the writer suggests to you is to wear .........

• According to the passage, cell phones are especially popular with young people because ...............

• What is the main idea of this passage?